JOUR-J - UNITES

741st Tank Battalion (Omaha Beach)

 
In August 1943, the battalion arrived at Fort Dix, New Jersey, to make final pre-embarkations preparations. From there, the battalion moved to the embarkation station at Camp Shanks, and boarded the Capetown Castle, departing New York on 20 October 1943 and arriving at Liverpool, England on 2 November 1943.
The battalion continued its training in England, where it was selected to become part of the D-Day assault force. Training first with British Valentine tanks specially equipped with the duplex drive amphibious propulsion system beginning in January 1944, they later received similarly equipped M4s with which to continue training. The units loaded out their equipment in late May and waited in port for the final order for the assault landings.
For D-Day, the battalion was attached to the 1st Infantry Division to support the 16th Infantry Regimental Combat Team landings on Omaha Beach. Company A was equipped with M4 Sherman tanks, while Companies B and C were equipped with the amphibious Sherman DD tanks. Company D, equipped with M5 light tanks, and the battalion headquarters were not part of the initial landing force.
 
      
 
Commanding Officer: Lt. Colonel Robert N. Skaggs  [voir le dossier]
  Headquarters Company:
  Service Company: 1st Lieutenant Frank A. Klotz  [voir le dossier]
  Medical Company: Captain Alex Hochman  [voir le dossier]
  A Company: Captain Cecil D. Thomas  [voir le dossier]
    1st Lieutenant Roger J. Mc Donough  [voir le dossier]
    1st Lieutenant E. S. Sledge  [voir le dossier]
    2nd Lieutenant Gaetano R. Barcelona  [voir le dossier]
  B Company: Captain James G. Thornton  [voir le dossier]
    2nd Lieutenant Florus W. Laird  [voir le dossier]
    2nd Lieutenant Patrick J. O'Shaughnessy  [voir le dossier]
    1st Lieutenant Albert I. Shapiro  [voir le dossier]
  C Company: Captain Charles R. Young  [voir le dossier]
    2nd Lieutenant Jerry B. Brown  [voir le dossier]
    1st Lieutenant Vincent A. Cinquina  [voir le dossier]
    1st Lieutenant John H. Covington  [voir le dossier]
  D Company: Captain John F. Sicks  [voir le dossier]